


New Year, A New Beginning

by dragonydreams



Series: Finding Home [4]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-15 07:28:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13608522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonydreams/pseuds/dragonydreams
Summary: It's time to tell the Lances that Sara and Leonard are moving in together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Television.
> 
> Betas: Thank you to angelskuuipo and shanachie for looking this over for me.
> 
> Author's Note: This is the fourth story in my [Finding Home](http://archiveofourown.org/series/506769) series. I highly recommend reading the previous stories first as this picks up a week after the last story.

Leonard stopped the car in front of the house he'd only been to once before, the day he'd surprised Sara and they began their relationship six months ago. He could honestly say that he'd never been happier in his life, all because of the woman sitting next to him, looking at her childhood home with a look of extreme trepidation.

"I changed my mind," she declared, "take me back to Central City."

Leonard chuckled. "You should have thought of that six hundred miles ago. We're here now; best get it over with."

"What if he says no?" Sara asked, desperately.

"Then we have time to try to convince him to change his mind," Leonard said. "Because we both know that he's not going to approve of you moving in with me."

"I know that Laurel's been thinking of moving in with Ollie, and Dad really hates him," Sara said.

"How much of a chance do you think I have if he doesn't like the billionaire?" Leonard asked.

"Well, you've never cheated on me," Sara said, with a shrug.

"And I never will," Leonard promised her. 

Leonard leaned over to kiss Sara, trying to pass along some of his resolve to her through the kiss. 

He knew that it was false bravado, but he had to make her think he was more confident than he felt. He'd never actually done this before; the whole meet-the-girlfriend's-family thing. He'd never really had a girlfriend before. He'd dated before Sara, of course, but rarely more than a couple of dates. He'd never _cared_ for a woman before; never been in love before, not like he was with Sara.

"Let's go rip off this Band Aid," he said.

With a sigh, Sara agreed. "Okay, let's do this. I love you."

Leonard couldn't help the grin that lit up his face at those words. "I love you, too."

They exited the car and gathered Sara's bags from the trunk, along with Leonard's duffle (even though he wasn't entirely sure they'd agree to let him stay there) and headed into the house. Sara used her key, calling out a greeting as they closed the door behind themselves and stripped out of their coats.

"Not so loud," Laurel complained, stumbling into the room, a hand to her head. 

Sara giggled. "Someone had too much fun at her New Year's Eve party last night," she teased. 

"You try keeping up with Ollie and Tommy at a party," Laurel grumbled, then quickly amended, "Never mind, don't. Never party with them." Her eyes landed on Leonard and she narrowed them at him. "Who are you?"

"Laurel, this is Leonard. My, um, boyfriend. Leonard, meet my hungover sister, Laurel," Sara said. 

Leonard held out his hand to shake. "Nice to meet you."

Laurel automatically shook his hand. "You brought home your secret boyfriend?" she hissed. "Dad's gonna flip."

Sara winced. "Yeah, I know, but I kinda needed to introduce him sooner rather than later," she said, glancing over at Leonard. 

Laurel's jaw dropped and she stepped even closer to Sara. In a fierce whisper, she guessed, "You're pregnant!"

"What? No!" Sara laughed loudly, causing Laurel to wince and step back. "Leonard asked me to move in with him."

Laurel gave Leonard a speculative look, causing him to square his shoulders. She patted him on the arm. "Been nice knowing you."

"So. Where are the 'rents?" Sara asked. 

"Dad had to run to the precinct and mom's back in her office grading papers or something," Laurel said, gesturing towards the back of the house. "I'm gonna go take some more Advil and go lie down."

"Feel better," Sara said to her sister's retreating back. Turning to Leonard she asked, "Ready to meet the easier parent?"

"I guess," he said. 

They left their bags at the foot of the stairs and Sara led Leonard to a small room off the kitchen. "This was originally some kind of den, but they turned it into an office for my mom. She teaches Greek and medieval history at the university."

"Of course she does," Leonard muttered. 

Sara knocked on the slightly ajar door as she pushed it open. "Hi, Mom."

"Sara, dear, I didn't know you were coming home today," Dinah greeted her daughter, standing from her computer to give her a hug. "Welcome home. We missed you for your birthday."

"I missed you, too." Sara moved back to where Leonard was still standing in the doorway. "Mom, I wanted you to meet someone. This is Leonard Snart, my boyfriend."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lance," Leonard said, extending his hand towards the older woman.

After a quick handshake, Dinah eyed Leonard before saying knowingly, "So you're the reason my daughter didn't want to spend Christmas and her birthday with her family."

That took Leonard up short. "I, um," he stuttered, glancing at Sara, who merely rolled her eyes and whined, "Mom."

"Don't 'Mom' me," Dinah said, looking at her daughter. "I remember being young and being completely enamored with a new beau. When your father and I got together we could barely keep our hands off of each other, let alone bear being separated."

"Oh, yuck," Sara's face screwed up with disgust. "Thanks for that mental image."

"Just so long as I don't get an actual image," Dinah said. "I expect that you would like to stay for a few days?" she asked Leonard.

"Yes, ma'am," Leonard answered, suddenly liking this woman very much. "If it's not too much trouble."

"I don't want to know what you've been getting up to for the past week, but if you are to stay under this roof, you will not be sharing a bed - for any reason. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am." 

"Yes, Mom."

"That goes for the sofa, too," Dinah added. "Leonard, I suppose that we can make up the sofa bed in here for you. It's not very comfortable, I'm afraid."

"It'll be fine," Leonard assured her, glad that he wouldn't have to go out to find lodgings. "Thank you."

"That's it?" Sara asked. "No Twenty Questions?"

Dinah smirked at her daughter. "Oh, I'm just waiting for your father to come home for that."

All the blood drained from Sara's face and Leonard couldn't help laughing. "Now I know where you get it from."

"Stop that," Sara said, slapping his chest. "You're supposed to be on my side."

"Always am," Leonard promised her, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing the top of her head. "But I like your mom."

"There's just one thing I want to know before your father gets home," Dinah said, taking in the clear affection between the couple before her.

"What's that?" Sara asked, leaning into Leonard. 

"Is there really a Lisa?" Dinah asked.

"Lisa's my sister," Leonard answered. "She's two years older than Sara and the two became very good friends after meeting. That part is true."

"And does your sister live with you?" Dinah asked. At Leonard's slow nod, she muttered, "Clever girl."

Sara silently beamed at her mother's quiet compliment.

"I take it there's a reason for bringing Leonard home, unannounced?" Dinah pressed.

"I thought it was time you all met," Sara hedged. "But yeah, there's also something we want to tell you."

Dinah took one of Sara's hands in hers. "Do you want to tell me now? Are you pregnant?"

"Why does everyone keep assuming I'm pregnant?" Sara practically yelled, flinging her arms in the air. "Can't a girl want to introduce her boyfriend to her parents for any other reason?"

"So you're not?"

"No, I'm not," Sara confirmed. 

"Oh, thank God," Dinah sighed, a hand to her chest. "In that case, I can wait to hear your news with your father."

"I'm gonna show Leonard around and then we'll be in my room," Sara announced, taking Leonard's hand.

"That's fine, just leave your door open," Dinah said. 

Sara showed Leonard around downstairs before he grabbed her bags and they went up to her room. Sara promptly flopped on the bed on her back, groaning as she covered her face. Leonard set her bags down near the foot of the bed before stretching out on his side next to her, gently prying her hands away from her face.

"It wasn't that bad," he said. "Better than I'd expected, actually."

"My mom's definitely the more open minded of my parents," Sara agreed, rolling on to her side to face Leonard.

"You're a lot like her," Leonard commented, tracing a hand from her shoulder down her arm to rest on her hip. 

"Thanks, I think," Sara said. She took a deep breath. "Two down, one to go."

"Want a distraction?" Leonard drawled, tugging on the loops of her jeans.

Sara's eyes widened and she whispered, "We can't do that."

She could feel Leonard's huff of amusement against her neck as he bent to press a kiss behind her ear. She shivered in delight, just as he knew she would, and he kissed her there again. 

"You don't play fair," Sara moaned, tilting her head to give him better access. Her hand clenched in his shirt, holding him close. 

After a minute or so, Sara reached for Leonard's face, drawing him up so that she could capture his lips; devour his lips, would be more accurate. 

They were so caught up in each other that Sara didn't even realize anyone was standing in her doorway until suddenly a body dropped onto the bed behind her. She yelped and turned her head to see what the disturbance was, then had to quickly restrain Leonard from climbing over her body to hurt the other man now lying on her bed.

"Ollie, what the hell?" Sara demanded, trying to push him off the bed, and failing. 

"I didn't want to believe it when Laurel told me that her baby sister had brought a man home with her from college, but look at you… all grown up," Ollie said, pulling on the end of her hair.

"So this is Ollie," Leonard drawled, derision dripping from his tongue. He sat on the edge of the bed and helped Sara to sit up. 

"You've heard of me?" Ollie asked, then held out his hand. "Oliver Queen, but you can call me Ollie." 

Leonard shook the proffered hand, giving it an extra squeeze, letting this playboy feel what a hand that has known hard work (and a gun) should feel like. "Leonard Snart."

"So, Lenny, how old are you anyway?" Ollie asked.

"It's Leonard, and that's none of your business," Leonard answered.

"Don't be a dick, Ollie," Sara said, leaning back against Leonard. 

"Too late," Leonard whispered in her ear, and she grinned.

"I'd like to know that, too," Laurel said, moving from the doorway to slide her arm around Ollie's shoulder. "No offense, but you don't look like you're in college, or even grad school."

With a sigh, Leonard admitted, "That's because I'm not. Never went to college. If you must know, I'm thirty-four."

"And you're dating an eighteen year-old?" Laurel asked, her voice turning to steel.

"I'm nineteen," Sara corrected her, taking Leonard's hand in hers. "And yes, he's fifteen years older than me. So what?"

"So what?" Laurel repeated. "He's _fifteen years older_ than you."

"Way to go, man," Ollie said, holding his fist out for a bump. 

Leonard glared at the fist, then at Ollie, until Ollie lowered his hand. Laurel was glaring at Ollie, too.

"Look, can we not do this now?" Sara asked. "I'm sure Dad's gonna have the same argument and I'd rather only have to do this once."

"From what I hear, Leonard's age is going to be the least of Dad's issues," Laurel said, smirking.

"What do you know?" Sara gasped.

"Mom called him when you came up here," Laurel reported. "He was still at the precinct."

"He looked up my rap sheet," Leonard concluded. 

"Hey, don't worry about it, man," Ollie said. "I've been arrested, too."

"Yeah, but you haven't been to jail," Sara said, causing Ollie to pale just a bit, and slowly stand from the bed and move behind Laurel.

Sara turned to look at Leonard. "We knew this was going to happen. We knew he'd run a check on you at the first opportunity."

"I know, I was just hoping to actually meet him before he looked me up," Leonard said. 

"C'mon, we probably shouldn't be in my room when Dad gets home," Sara said, standing and tugging on Leonard's hand until he was standing, too.

They all headed downstairs and had just settled in the living room when the front door slammed closed. 

"Where is he?" Quentin bellowed.

Sara's eyes widened and she leapt to her feet, rushing to the entryway. "Hi, Daddy."

"Don't 'Hi, Daddy,' me," he growled. "Where is the criminal you brought into my home?"

Leonard stepped into the doorway, exuding an air of cool indifference. "Always happy to meet a fan," he drawled, smirking. 

Sara rolled her eyes as she turned and went to stand by Leonard. "Do you always have to be so dramatic?" she whispered to him.

"Yes," Leonard said. Looking back to her father, Leonard stepped forward, extending his hand, "Leonard Snart. It's a pleasure to meet you, Detective Lance. Sara's told me a lot about you."

Quentin sneered at the extended hand. "Funny, because she hasn't mentioned you at all. And now I know why." The loathing was clearly written across his face as he looked over the man standing before him. 

Leonard tracked the older man's hand reaching for the sidearm that luckily wasn't there, just as Dinah entered the room. 

"Ah, Quentin, I'm glad you're home and I see that you've already met Sara's young man," Dinah said, resting her hand on Quentin's arm. 

"I wouldn't call him 'young'," Quentin pointed out. 

"But he _is_ Sara's boyfriend," Dinah reminded him. "I think that we should trust your daughter's judgement about him."

"You haven't seen his rap sheet," Quentin countered.

"People are more than their rap sheets," Dinah reminded him. To the others gathered in the entryway, she said, "Dinner's almost ready. Sara, Leonard, come set the table. Oliver, I assume that you will be joining us, too?" 

Ollie simply nodded his head, knowing there was no way he could pass up watching this show.

Sara bussed a kiss to her father's cheek as she passed him, pulling Leonard along by his hand as they followed her mom into the kitchen. 

"Thanks, Mrs. Lance," Leonard said upon entering the kitchen.

"Don't for one second think that you don't have to answer for yourself," Dinah coldly warned him, placing a stack of dishes in Leonard's hands. "I just don't want to clean blood out of the front hall carpeting."

Leonard swallowed hard at the conviction on Dinah's face and simply nodded his head. 

Sara quickly grabbed silverware and napkins and led Leonard into the dining room. 

"I take it back, your mom is kind of scary," Leonard said quietly as they set the table.

"Yeah, she is," Sara said, almost proudly. "Look, if my dad offers you a beer, don't take it."

"Wouldn't that be rude?" Leonard pointed out.

Sara shook her head. "It's a test."

"Sara, I am well over the legal drinking age," Leonard reminded her.

"I know, and so does he. But if you take a beer from him, he'll assume you're buying it for me, too. One more way the older man is leading his impressionable teenage daughter astray."

"You like me leading you astray," Leonard drawled, looping an arm around her waist.

Sara danced out of his arms, blushing. "That may be, but we don't want him knowing that and holding it against you."

Leonard heaved a sigh. "Fine, as much as I'd love a drink right now, I'll abstain."

"Thank you," Sara said, giving him a quick peck on the lips before returning to the kitchen for glasses.

The table was soon set and everyone was seated around the table. Sara and Leonard were on one side, Laurel and Ollie on the other, with Dinah and Quentin at either end. 

Quentin had offered Leonard a beer before they sat down, which Leonard had passed on. Ollie, on the other hand, had gladly accepted, earning him a frown of disapproval. Leonard was suddenly glad that he'd listened to Sara's warning as he sipped his water.

Given the number of people at the table, Dinah had made a quick spaghetti dinner, with jarred sauce.

Sara leaned over to whisper in Leonard's ear, "Mick's was much better." To which Leonard nodded his agreement.

"What are you two whispering about?" Laurel teased. "No secrets at the dinner table."

"This just reminded me of my birthday dinner," Sara said. "Leonard's friend, Mick, made us spaghetti, but he made this amazing meat sauce from scratch."

"That wouldn't happen to be Mick Rory, the arsonist, would it?" Quentin asked, his hand tightening around his fork.

"Since you know his name, I assume that question is rhetorical," Leonard said.

"It appears next to yours in so many of your arrests," Quentin said.

"Just how many have there been?" Ollie asked, nervously looking at the man across the table from them. 

"Half a dozen arrests," Quentin said.

"But only two convictions, and one of those was while I was still a juvenile," Leonard said, smugly. "That's where I met Mick."

"Some master criminal, sent to juvie for stealing a Beebo doll," Quentin huffed.

Leonard sat up straighter in his chair. He took a deep breath before saying through gritted teeth, "That was supposed to be a birthday present for my sister. I didn't have any money and since Dad was in jail, I knew Lisa wasn't going to have any presents if I didn't steal one for her. Would have gotten away with it, too, if the stupid talking blue thing wasn't so damn sensitive and started talking as I was almost out the door."

Sara squeezed his hand under the table. She knew that both of them had to go without a lot of presents growing up. Leonard more so than Lisa because he tried to always get her something, whether by legal means or not.

"I take it the judge didn't buy your little sob story," Quentin sneered.

"Wasn't a story. The judge wanted to make an example out of me because my dad was a dirty cop," Leonard said. "It was my first arrest, after all. Wanted to scare me straight or something like that."

"Guess it didn't work," Laurel said.

Leonard shrugged. "Who knows if it would have worked. Soon as my dad got out he started dragging me along on jobs. Not like I could say no to the old man if I wanted to eat."

Quentin let out a harsh laugh. "So you blame your father for your life of crime. Nice to see Sara fell for someone who could think for himself."

"Oh, I do think for myself. I made the most of a bad situation by paying attention. By _thinking_ of how to do things better. Faster. Smarter. Am I in the same line of work that my father trained me for? Yeah. Not all of us have the luxury of going to college, let alone finishing high school. But make no mistake, I'm my own man."

"And he's my man," Sara added, bringing their joined hands up to rest on the table.

"But he's a criminal," Quentin practically yelled.

"I know. I've known since the day we met," Sara admitted.

"How did the two of you meet?" Dinah asked. "I must admit that I'm dreadfully curious."

"That's actually Dad's fault," Sara said, grinning. 

"What?" Quentin asked, brows furrowing.

"Last year, when you took me to Central City for that detective conference. Remember when I got lost?" Sara asked.

"Scariest day of my life," Quentin said.

"Leonard's the one who brought me back to the hotel," Sara said.

"You've been together for a year?" Quentin raged.

"No, of course not," Sara said. "Just the last four months."

"Six," Leonard corrected her. "When I came to see you after graduation and you told me that you were moving to Central City for school."

"Four; since I arrived in Central for school," Sara countered, in the familiar argument.

"You're the boy that Sara has been texting and emailing with for the past year," Dinah said, sitting back in her chair. "The one who always made her smile when she got a new message."

Sara flushed at her mom's observation. She had thought she was more discreet than that.

"But that's just it," Quentin said. "He's not a boy."

Sara squeezed Leonard's hand hard before he could respond verbally, so he smirked instead. Which wasn't much better.

"I know it's hard to understand," Sara hedged, "but we're really good together. I should be getting A's or B's in all of my classes this semester and Leonard hasn't been arrested once in the time we've been together."

"Not getting arrested in four to six months is not the measure of a good relationship," Quentin said. "Although that is better than your sister's boyfriend."

"Hey," both Laurel and Oliver objected. 

"Peeing on a cop while you're out drunk with a girl who is not my daughter is not acceptable behavior. Nor would it be if she had been with you. Even if your parents were able to get the charges dropped," Quentin said, rounding on Ollie.

"I apologized for that," Ollie said, quickly. "And at least Laurel and I are the same age."

"But Leonard has never cheated on me," Sara countered.

"That you know of," Ollie said, under his breath.

"Never gonna happen," Leonard's cold eyes met Ollie's. "A real man doesn't cheat on the woman he loves."

Sara noted Laurel looking down at her hands and felt a wave of sympathy for her sister, as Quentin choked on the sip of beer he'd just taken. "He what?"

"Loves." Leonard met Quentin's eyes. "I love your daughter. Do you really think that I'd subject myself to this if I didn't?"

"And I love him," Sara added, in case there was any doubt. She took a deep breath before announcing, "Leonard asked me to move in with him and I said yes."

"Absolutely not," Quentin bellowed, standing. 

"Quentin, sit down," Dinah said, ready to get up herself to calm her husband. Not that she was any happier about this news, but she knew that yelling wouldn't do any good.

"There is no way that I am going to allow my baby girl to move in with some criminal twice her age," Quentin said.

Sara locked eyes with her sister across the table. _Congrats_ Laurel mouthed. Sara nodded and mouthed back, _Thanks._

Returning her attention to her father, Sara stood and said, "I'm not a baby. I'm nineteen and old enough to make my own decisions about where I live."

"We have already paid for your dorm for next semester," Dinah said, calmly. 

"Well, duh. I didn't mean we were moving in next week," Sara said. 

Leonard tugged on Sara's hand until she was sitting again. "I knew when I asked Sara to move in with me that it wouldn't happen until the summer. That will give Lisa time to move into her new apartment, in the same building, while Sara finishes the semester in the dorms. It will also give you time to get used to the idea of us living together."

"We're going to turn Lisa's old room into a room for me," Sara said. 

"So you'll be roommates, not _living together_ living together," Quentin said, sagging into his chair.

Sara knew she could take the easy way out, but didn't want to lie to her father anymore. "Um, no, we'll be _living together_. That room will be like an office for me. So I can have my own space to study."

"So you don't plan to drop out of college?" Quentin clarified.

Sara looked confused. "I didn't say I was dropping out. Did I say that? How does us living together translate to me dropping out?"

"Because you'd be living with a criminal," Quentin said, as if that explained everything.

"I want Sara to have everything that I never did," Leonard said. "Her schoolwork comes first; always. She knows that."

"I've even decided on a major," Sara announced, sitting up straighter. 

"I thought you didn't know what you wanted to study," Laurel said. 

"I didn't. But after getting to know Leonard and Lisa, I think I want to go into social work. I want to help kids like them who were trapped in a bad situation because they were children," Sara said. 

Leonard couldn't help the affection and pride he felt for Sara that shined through his eyes as he looked at her. No one had ever been inspired to do good because of him before. 

Quentin was watching Leonard watch Sara and as much as it sickened him, he couldn't deny that this man, this criminal, seemed to be having a good effect on his daughter. When Sara had left for college, she'd had no goals for what path her education would take. Not like her sister. Laurel had known she was going to study law as a young child. But Sara had always been his wild child; his free spirit who just wanted to help people. And now she was going to because she'd gone and fallen for a man too old for her, who operated on the wrong side of the law.

"They'll be lucky to have you fighting for them," Dinah said. 

"Yeah," Quentin agreed, then cleared his throat when that word came out more wistful than he'd intended. "Um, if you kids are done why don't you go watch a movie or something? Your mom and I will clean up."

Sara saw that Leonard was going to say something snarky about not being a kid, but she kicked him under the table before he had a chance. She pulled him to his feet, but before they left, Leonard said, "Thank you for the delicious meal."

"You're welcome," Dinah said, pleased by his politeness, despite the dinner … conversation.

After squeezing onto the couch, sisters together, men on the outside, they pulled up _Superman Returns_ on Demand and turned the volume down so they could talk. 

"So, was it just me, or was Dad starting to come around at the end there?" Sara asked the others. 

"I think he was starting to come around," Laurel agreed. "I was watching him watch Leonard while you talked about having picked a major. He was impressed by what he saw."

"On my face?" Leonard clarified, frowning.

Laurel smiled at that. "You probably didn't even realize you were doing it, but you had such a look of pride and admiration on your face. Like Sara's successes were more important than your own. I must admit, I was a bit jealous of that look."

"I'm proud of you," Ollie said, pulling Laurel closer against his side. 

The smile Laurel gave him was much sadder than the one she'd just been wearing. "I know you are, babe."

"I'm really hoping that by seeing how good we are together than he'll come to see Leonard the way that I see him," Sara said.

"I don't think I'm comfortable with him seeing me the exact same way that you do," Leonard teased.

Sara gigged and snuggled against him. "He'll see that you're a good, caring man, who loves me."

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm good, but the rest is all true," Leonard said.

Sara twisted around until she was straddling Leonard. "You are _very_ good to me," she purred, kissing Leonard, uncaring of their audience.

"Gross, sit back down before Dad comes in here," Laurel groaned, pulling Sara's arm until she resumed her seat facing the television.

"Oh, let them be," Ollie said. He had to drag his eyes from Sara to focus on Laurel. "It's probably the only action they're gonna get the entire time they're here. And if you don't want to watch, I'd be happy to distract you."

"I am not going to make out with you while Sara makes out with her boyfriend and our parents are in the next room," Laurel hissed. 

"We're used to doing this with an audience," Leonard said, making a 'go ahead' gesture with his hand. 

"Sara," Laurel gasped. 

Sara rolled her eyes. "The apartment is small and Lisa always ends up walking in on us while we're making out in the living room. It's not like we plan it. It's no worse than being seen kissing at a party, and I know that's happened to you."

"She's got you there," Ollie said.

"What's all this talking? I thought you were watching a movie," Quentin said, entering the room. 

"We were doing both," Sara said as she paused the movie and leaned away from Leonard. "What's the verdict, Your Honor?"

"Cute," Quentin said, settling into his La-Z-Boy chair. 

"I think she is," Leonard commented. 

"And I can see that," Quentin conceded. "Which is why I am going to try to reserve judgement until the end of your visit." Dinah entered and sat on the arm of his chair. Through gritted teeth, he continued, "Your mother and I want to spend some time getting to know you as a couple, and I'll try to not hold your record against you as I get to know you better, Leonard."

Sara blinked and then grinned. "Really? You're going to give him a chance?"

"He obviously makes you happy," Dinah said. "While we have trouble understanding why from what we've read about him, there's obviously something about him," she looked at Leonard, "about you, that makes my daughter happy. And we would like to see what that is."

"Thank you for the opportunity," Leonard said, sincerely. 

"So, uh, what are we watching?" Quentin asked, pulling Dinah down to sit on his lap.

"Mom," Sara gasped, horrified. 

Dinah smirked at her daughter as she made herself comfortable. "All the other seats were taken."

"We're watching _Superman Returns_ ," Laurel said, taking the remote from Sara.

"Superheroes, again. Why's it always gotta be superheroes?" Quentin muttered as they resumed the movie.


	2. Coda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurel's thoughts about Sara and Leonard moving in together.

Images from the night before kept running through Laurel's head. Sara was happier than she'd ever seen her. When she was with Leonard, she virtually glowed. 

The relationship made no sense to Laurel. Leonard was too old for Sara. And it sounded like he still led the life of a criminal, even if he hadn't been caught lately. 

And yet, he seemed to be helping her wild child, little sister grow up. 

Something she'd been hoping to inspire in Ollie. Maybe she should ask Leonard for tips, she thought wryly to herself.

She'd been in love with Oliver Queen for as long as she could remember. The beautiful, entitled, rich boy who'd picked her out of all of the girls in their high school. Yeah, she knew about the girls he slept with behind her back, but he always came back to her. She was the only one that he loved. 

But last night, she'd also seen Ollie looking at her sister in a way that he never had before. Like if she wasn't so completely in love with Leonard, he'd make a play for her himself. And the old Sara would probably take him up on it, just to satisfy her crush. (Yes, Laurel knew that Sara had had a crush on her boyfriend. She couldn't really blame her for finding Ollie attractive.) At least Laurel could relax and know that Sara was so in love with her boyfriend that she'd never look at Ollie with lust again.

These thoughts were still going through her head when Laurel arrived at Queen Manor.

"Have you ever thought about it?" Laurel asked, sitting on Ollie's bed. 

"I think about it all the time," Ollie said, sitting next to her and bending to kiss her neck.

"That's not what I meant," Laurel said, even as she tilted her head to give him better access.

"Then what did you mean?" Ollie asked between kisses, his hand sliding up her thigh to rest on her hip.

"Us living together," Laurel said, moaning as Ollie bit that sensitive spot behind her ear.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ollie asked, sitting back, barely concealed panic in his eyes.

That look was answer enough for Laurel, but she pressed on. "Have you ever thought about us getting a place, just the two of us? We've been together again for a while now and things are good, right?"

"Yeah, of course they are," Ollie croaked. 

"So why don't we take that next step? Most of the couples we know are living together now. If my baby sister can move in with her criminal boyfriend, why can't we?" Laurel asked, her fingers running up and down Ollie's thigh.

Ollie stood and began to pace and Laurel sagged a bit in defeat while his back was turned. 

"I don't see why we need to change anything," Ollie said. "Like you said, things have been good between us. So why change it?"

"Afraid you can't make it without a maid and a cook?" Laurel teased, half-heartedly.

"Of course not, you'll be there," Ollie said, carelessly. Upon seeing the look of anger cross Laurel's face, he quickly added, "Just kidding."

"You better have been. When we do finally move in together, I will not be cleaning up after you like you're some kind of child," Laurel said, coldly. She was starting to understand why Sara had gone for an older man. At least he knew how to take care of himself.

"Where is this coming from?" Ollie asked, resuming his seat on the bed. "Is it just because little Sara is moving in with her man?"

"That's not the only reason," Laurel said, pouting. "I'd been thinking about it for a while now, but with Sara moving in with her boyfriend after being together for less time than us, it just got me thinking about it more."

"But they're not even going to move in together right away," Ollie reminded her, sliding his arm around her waist. "Not until after next semester, remember?"

"I remember," Laurel said, breathing out slowly. She turned so that she was fully facing Ollie. "If you're not ready to discuss moving in together now, can you at least promise that you'll think about it? Maybe we can talk about it again when it gets closer to when Sara finally does move in with Leonard."

Oliver let out a sigh of relief and Laurel's heart sank a bit. 

"Yeah, we can talk about it in May, when Sara and Leonard are actually living together," Ollie reluctantly agreed.

"That's all I ask," Laurel said. "For now, let's take advantage of the fact that we are on this big bed with no one else around."

"Now that's more like it," Ollie said, pressing a kiss to her lips.

Laurel kissed him back, allowing Ollie to distract her from her thoughts. He may not be there yet, but she'd get him there. She had time to show him why living together will be a good thing, and she would get her way in the end. She was sure of it.


End file.
